Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Toyota Highlander Maintenance and Repair

1…7879818384…105

Comments

  • denniskirk1denniskirk1 Member Posts: 4
    The 4 runner dose have big time sunroof issues but that are totaly unrelated to the highlander. In my personal experience I see 12 4 runner problems to 1 highlander sunroof problem.
  • tixtix Member Posts: 27
    I do understand that it is a major hassle to fix the sunroof and that is why no one is willing to fix it for a reasonable price. It doesn't make sense to me that a sunroof, which you do not use all that often (at least I didn't) should break, just like that. I could understand the brakes, or door locks etc....but the sunroof!!! And, the fact that the "list price" option of having a sunroof is only $700, and they want to charge double to fix it does not make sense to me. It is sounding to me like more and more people are having issues with the sunroof and hopefully Toyota will rethink their position on warranty and repair. I too am interested in knowing where I can find the information about the number of complaints they have received concerning sunroofs----anyone know???
  • noel3noel3 Member Posts: 4
    i was able to get 04 4 runner sunroof closed, with the exception of the left rear corner sags just a bit. QUESTIONS: 1 - DOES THE 4 RUNNER HAVE A RAIN RUNOFF CHANNEL UNDER THE SUNROOF THAT WILL DRAIN SMALL AMOUNTS OF EXCESS WATER 2 - IS THERE A WAY TO TEMPORARILY GET THE SAGGING CORNER TO STAY UP? 3 - ANYBODY HAVE ACCESS TO THE TSB'S ON THIS ISSUE? THANKS A BUNCH
  • abbie4abbie4 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2001 Toyota Highlander,V6, 230,000 miles. I have had no problems except that the temperature contol knob has stopped working. I have either hot or cold and nothing in themiddle! Does anyone know how much it should cost (approx.) to repair the problem. I am told it is the whole panel that needs replacing. Thank you for your help.
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    Assuming your knob itself is working, it is probably the air blend door that is sticking so that it will not modulate the air. I wouldn't think this would be a big fix but nowadays almost anything is costly.
  • derekgaddyderekgaddy Member Posts: 32
    That's impressive and encouraging. My uncle has a 1999 Lexus RS300 SUV with 160k and running strong. I look forward to my 2003 with 72k to run for many more miles.
  • abbie4abbie4 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for supplying the correct terminology. I will see what Toyota has to say about the repair. I was told by my mechanic it was about $1000 to get the part and then who knows how much labor will cost. Thanks for the response. I love this car and hope to have it a while longer!
  • chrisxxxchrisxxx Member Posts: 18
    Hi,
    We have a 07 Highlander Sport with about 3000 miles on it now.
    I was really nervous about 'hesitation' issues after reading about them in the Highlander.
    I have noticed the tranny 'burps' sometimes, but only occasionally under hard acceleration or repeated downshifting (like going up many many miles of serious uphill). 2 times the tranny felt like it slipped when accelerating hard from a stop on a steep hill (driveway).
    Although it would be preferable that the minor 'burping' did not ever happen...I have not found it to be much of a problem for me personally. Nothing like what I have read about the Camry this year. The Highlander 'burps' are small and do not interfer with operation in traffic and have only happened a few times like I said.
    I would buy it again. We both love it. It is amazingly serene and smooth and luxerious feeling.
    We just got back from a very long trip to the ocean (6 hours each way) and it was the most enjoyable car trip I have even been on. The Highlander is just so comfy and serene to be in.
    The front passenger seat can be a bit uncomfortable feeling for some as the seat bottom is a bit short and you can feel like your being 'pushed' out of the seat, but I have found that if you sit a bit sideways or cross your legs like in a office chair the seat is very nice and soft.
    So, yes, we have had the few 'burps' but they have not been a problem for us.
    The honest truth.
    Overall the Highlander is a luxury feeling vehicle and I wish I got to drive it more as my husband has stolen it he loves it so much.
    I do reccommend the 'Sport' version as the 'reg' version has a lot of body roll for me.
  • roho1roho1 Member Posts: 318
    I just turned in my '03 HL FWD V6 lease for a '07 HL AWD V6. My 03 was the most trouble free vehicle I have ever owned, not one issue in 4 years.

    My '07, is just as nice but with one issue. It seems to be constantly up shifting and down shifting, very annoying. I don't know if it's because the '07 has a 5 speed vs the '03 4 speed tranny or it's a problem as I have been reading here. I don't notice it all the time but usually driving in traffic at low speeds around 30mph. The tranny doesn't seem to know where to go. I used to like to turn off the OD driving that speed so it was easier to drive at slow speeds but the '07 doesn't seem to work the same when the OD is turned off. Maybe I just have to learn to drive differently with the new trans. I'm going to raise the issue when I take it in for the first oil change.
  • gasman1gasman1 Member Posts: 321
    Several people found a broken or shorted wire to be the culpret. You may want to review this link: http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/highlander/32217-heater-quit-sort-of/
  • tixtix Member Posts: 27
    When they tried to close my sunroof they said they could not get it any "more closed" with out taking it all apart - meaning fixing the motor and cables and there fore charging me $1500. The only suggestion I have is to use duct tape to keep the rain out. It seems to work for me, although I have to replace it every once in a while, but where I live there is not too much rain or snow. It does whistle, but not too bad. With all these posts about jammed sunroofs, I am really beginning to wonder if maybe there is an issue here that Toyota is GOING to HAVE TO ADDRESS!
  • dcashmandcashman Member Posts: 1
    I've got a 2001 3.0 with 2wd and 55K miles, and have also discovered how high speeds burn oil. I'm out of warranty at this point. A 300-350 miles round trip to Boston or to NYC from Albany is a 2 qt trip @ 70-75 MPH.
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    No wonder I get confused. Your replying to a post that is well over two years old!
  • abbie4abbie4 Member Posts: 4
    Thank you so much. I trust my car repair guys and will show them this info. I hope my problem is as easy as you say.
  • abbie4abbie4 Member Posts: 4
    I appreciate all your help, I don't really know the first thing about car repairs. This may be a silly question but do car mechanics make such easy repairs or will they tell me I need the entire $1000 part? Would Toyota take the time to solder the wires? Boy...I think I'm going to take an auto repair class!
  • jackmick656jackmick656 Member Posts: 61
    Just turned 30,000 on my 03 V6 2WD Highlander. I have the red coolant in the radiator. Should I change the fluid now and if yes please advise the best way to do the job. Thank you very much.
  • lbretzlbretz Member Posts: 1
    I have had the same problem except it is on a 2007 Highlander with 6 speaker JBL system. From what I can tell it is tied to cell phones switching towers. I have sat in the Toyota service parking lot and can get it to make the distortion but only once. I have called from another location and when the cell phone switches towers it will happen again. I have had it in six times and very frustrated they can not duplicate and therefore will not address the problem. They did change out the right rear speaker but that did not fix the problem. Keep me posted if you hear of anyone else. They claim I am the first to report the issue but I see that is not correct.
  • 05highlander0505highlander05 Member Posts: 89
    2005 highlander v6

    here's a link to the alignment sheet specs:
    http://picasaweb.google.com/draganplavsic/Alignment">link title

    When I brought it in I needed an alignment because the steering wheel was off slightly to the right when driving down a straight road. Now when the dealer did an alignment the steering wheel is off slightly to the left. I changed all 4 tires a few months so I don't know if the tires have any impact on this or not but they are brand new. While at the dealer today I also had them rotate all 4 tires. What should my next step be? I would hate to keep going back to the dealer.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Have you told anyone that the stearing wheel being a bit off-center bothers you? The stearing wheel "position" in reality has absolutely NOTHING to do with proper alignment of the vehicle wheels, front and/or rear.

    My stearing wheel is ALWAYS off-center so that I can easily drive straight ahead, wheel-spoke in a "proper position, while resting my elbow on the door armrest.

    If you really wish the stearing wheel to be "exactly" centered going straight down the road that is very easy for the mechanic to accomplish by lengthening one tie rod while shortening the other.
  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    Can anyone comment on the best manuals for just basic maintenance? How are Haynes and Chiltons for Toyotas? I didn't care for them for Hondas and picked up an official shop manual on helminc.com but they don't have Toyotas.
  • jim70jim70 Member Posts: 27
    Just interesting info as stated by the:

    American Heritage Dictionary -

    Steer - Steering

    v. steered, steer·ing, steers

    To guide by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or wheel.

    To direct the course of. See Synonyms at conduct.
    To maneuver (a person) into a place or course of action. See Synonyms at guide.

    To guide a vessel or vehicle.
    To follow or move in a set course.
    To admit of being steered or guided: a craft that steers easily.

    Stearing - not found - Only Acronyms
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Wwest has been on the stearing kick for a while now, but we indulge him. :shades:

    Mikefm58, you may be interested in some of the online sources in the Online Repair Manuals guide. The Technical Information System is one listed there for Toyota, but it's not cheap.
  • 05highlander0505highlander05 Member Posts: 89
    Hi,

    i told the dealer that when I drive down a straight road the steering wheel is not centered, but it's slightly off to the right. I guess being that they are pro's they would know what that meant. If my steering wheel is exactly centered the vehicle pulls slowly to the right...not good.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Oh, different "story"...

    ALL, or almost all, of our roads in the US are crowned at the center to provide for quick water run-off. That results in vehicle pulling (sliding really) to the right even if the alignment is correct with the stearing wheel perfectly centered.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Google for:

    stearing

    "nough said....
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    It's steering, not stearing.
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    You just can't convince Mr. West that he is wrong about the correct spelling for steering. He is obviously a knowledgeable fellow who cannot admit he is wrong regardless of the facts.
  • 05highlander0505highlander05 Member Posts: 89
    at this point should I let the service manager know or just tell the service advisor to have the tech fix it?
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    I don't dispute that "Steering" is probably now the more common spelling but at the same time I find that "stearing" is still widely used.

    So, IMMHO there is no "right or wrong" of it.

    So I'll go with what I learned in Mr. Furman's 5th grade class at primos.
  • jim70jim70 Member Posts: 27
    Merriam - Webster Online

    Strearing:

    The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion below or try again using the search bar above.

    Suggestions for stearing:
    1. steering
    2. starring
    3. staring
    4. storing
    5. stirring
    6. string
    7. storying
    8. steading
    9. stearins
    10. stealing
    11. sterling
    12. starching
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    Geez. Half the people on these boards use "breaks" instead of the proper term "brakes." Does that make it right?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Y'all please give us all a brake and take it over to Grammar and the Peeves that Pet It.
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    Wow! I thought you were kidding Steve but there really is such a board.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Hay, wood I stear you wrong?

    Moo.... :shades:
  • carbuff10carbuff10 Member Posts: 7
    1. Will Toyota accept owner accomplished maintenance as being sufficient if warranty issues arise in the future?

    2. 5,000 and 10,000 mile checks are straight forward with engine oil, filter, tire rotation and visual inspection of the brakes. Will receipt of oil and filter purchase and one's word that you rotated the tires and inspected the brakes suffice or some other form of documentation such as pictures necessary?

    3. 15,000 and 30,000 checks involve the above items plus other inspections. Do these inspections have to be accomplished by a licensed/certified mechanic or can a owner preform them and still satisfy Toyota?

    Any information/input regarding above questions will be greatly appreciated.
  • kenlwkenlw Member Posts: 190
    ... on the failure, the cost and the general attitude of both parties at the time.

    receipts are usually sufficient to "prove" proper oil changes.

    the law states that any maintenance REQUIRED can be done by someone other than an "official" service dept. Warranties cover failures, and an inspection will not prevent a failure in most cases. If you can inspect for a bad bearing, Toyota will still fix it under warranty if they agree it is bad.

    If you cannot inspect for it (a bearing or anything else), you need to find someone who CAN inspect it (no one does it for free), then if something is found, Toyota will do their own inspection and perform the replacement under warranty.
  • carbuff10carbuff10 Member Posts: 7
    Quote from Toyota owner's warranty information booklet
    "Any failure or noncompliance caused by improper maintenance or repairs is not covered by this warranty"

    It sound as if there is a lot of room for argument in the the manufacturer's favor if warranty issues do arise depending on the type and cost of the warranty work. Recently having purchased a new vehicle and looking into which route to take for maintenance (Dealer, independent shop, or do-it-yourself) one would want to make sure warranty issues will not be a problem if required maintenance was performed by the owner.

    All Toyota dealers and most independent shops with properly licensed mechanics performing the maintenance will eliminate any warranty issues but do-it-yourselfers are taking a risk, however small that may be, that Toyota will prevail in a court of law.

    The question would then be, is all this worth the savings one will accrue by doing it yourself. Probably not especially if you are planing to purchase extended factory warranty. Just might have to cough up the scheduled maintenance cost however unreasonable and sometimes unnecessary they might be.
  • phrosutphrosut Member Posts: 122
    I'm one that does all my own maintenance. If there's a warranty argument they'll have to prove it was a problem caused by maintenance or lack thereof. I bought the extended warranty more for potential computer and heater control unit failures than anything else and paid a little more for a refund if we don't use it.

    I'm 3/4 of the way to the end of our extended warranty and still hoping for my money back as we've still had no warranty work done in 75K miles.

    Phil
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    "The question would then be, is all this worth the savings one will accrue by doing it yourself."

    That is only half the reason for DIY maintenance. When you hear all the stories about forgetting to tighten the drain plug or oil filter or just forgetting to put the oil in all together, it is scary. Also you can't be sure what grade oil they are actually putting in. When they do a quick change, they often don't let the oil completely drain before screwing the plug back in. I KNOW I do a better job than the dealer with that kind of maintenance. I keep a log and receipts for the oil and filters and have never had a problem.
  • carbuff10carbuff10 Member Posts: 7
    You bring up a good point. Some of the costliest warranty work may involve items that are not directly related to required maintenance such as computer components, A/C, audio, power doors/windows and even the power sunroof as mentioned by earlier postings. You must have a non-Toyota extended warranty as I am not aware of such an incentive with Toyota's extended warranty.

    Desertguy brings up another point regarding the quality of service at dealers or independent shops. Unless you do the work yourself, you are relying soley on the shop's word that the work promised was actually performed and preformed correctly.
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    Investigate the Toyota Extended warranty( I wouldn't have a third party) On the Toyota Financial Services page. http://www.toyotafinancial.com/consumer/tfs.portal;jsessionid=2x2vGWWP4v0mJBsxm3- J5nJ9jh8z8QBWTvRfsHglkjyTjsS7GZfhL!11052576!195376879?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_T- CUVProtectionPlan

    Check out what it covers which is virtually all components of the car except wear items such as brake pads. A couple added points: It provides a free loaner when car is out of service and it is transferable if you sell your car which is a great incentive for the new buyer.

    I have the 7 year 100,000 mile Platinum Warranty with 0 deductible. Cost me $804. Ignore the pricing on the web page as dealers can and do charge whatever they want. One major problem with the air conditioning will pay for it.
  • carbuff10carbuff10 Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the warranty link. I have looked into Toyota's extended warranty and I would not purchase any other than the manufacturer's warranty. You are correct about the prices that they are all over the range. There were postings on other forums, I believe Prius', that had info on where and how to go about purchasing one.

    My comment about the refundable cost of warranty should one not use it at all was directed at "phrosut" as he/she stated that he/she was on his/her way to a complete refund of warranty purchase price for not filing a single claim. Far as I know, Toyota's plan does not have this clause. I did hear that some third party warranty does offer this benefit.
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    On another forum, a message was posted that the person had the extended Toyota Platinum Warranty and the refund clause if it was not used. Before jumping all over him about how that can't be, :) I contacted Toyota Corp. and they told me that yes it was a dealer only option and while most did not offer it, a few did. This dealer was on the right coast.
  • carbuff10carbuff10 Member Posts: 7
    This is the first time I've heard that Toyota's extended warranty is refundable if not utilized. It sounds like something worth looking into. But, I have a feeling that the dealer who does offer this option will ask for something close to MSRP for the warranty and are not included on the list of dealers posted in an another forum (Camary, not Prius) who were offering the warranty at competitive prices.
    Another decision to ponder as to which way to pursue.
  • phrosutphrosut Member Posts: 122
    I have the Toyota Platinum extended warranty, purchased from my dealer. I was going to buy it online as I had about 33,000 miles on the car, but called my dealer and they matched the online price and also offered the "money back" policy for another couple of hundred $$ IIRC.

    The "catch" on the money back is that you have to submit the required paperwork in a very narrow window when the 7 years is up, mileage doesn't matter. (2 weeks comes to mind but I may be remembering incorrectly). You also have to prove that you still own the car with a copy of the current registration.

    We've marked calendars, and made notes, and have the exact time programmed into an electronic calendar. I may take the required paperwork to the dealer just before I send it in and have them verify it and confirm that the company is still in business (the warranty-money-back company).

    Phil
  • scottgbwiscottgbwi Member Posts: 85
    I'm just curious phrosut, if you get a minor repair issue that may only cost around 100 bucks, you just going to eat the cost? Hoping that you can get a full refund if you have no other problems.
  • carbuff10carbuff10 Member Posts: 7
    It sounds like a third party (non-Toyota) is involved in the refund program. One has to decide if $200 or so extra on top of Toyota's extended warranty is worthwhile hoping one does not need to use the extended warranty.
  • phrosutphrosut Member Posts: 122
    Actually a minor repair issue of $100 I'd pay for. It's the one's at or over $500 that would be the REAL gamble: fix it and get the warranty money back? or fix it, then fix something else, then something else, etc.

    The module for the heating/AC was $900 plus labor (as posted here, IIRC) and was a big factor in my buying the extended warranty. Since then, there've been posts detailing the simple repair that those units usually need.

    The sunroof repair is another biggie, but that problem hadn't been yet posted when I got the warranty. I'd use the warranty for that!

    Phil
  • aerosnowaerosnow Member Posts: 13
    I looked around all the websites, where did you get it for $804. $880 was the best I could find.

    Thanks in advance.
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    I'm not allowed to post the name of the contact or phone on these boards as it can be seen as advertising. If you click on "desertguy" and my forums profile, you can send me an email and I will give you the info.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles